The present invention relates generally to computer database systems and is particularly directed to a method and system using a relational database as a data warehouse for storing and retrieving enterprise-wide activity based data related to a product family.
A data warehouse is maintained in a computer storage device. The data stored in the data warehouse is automatically collected from operational systems at predetermined intervals and is organized to provide analytical information. Typically, the data stored in a data warehouse is used for Decision Support Systems ("DSS"), used by senior management in a company to assist in strategic planning. In traditional systems production and indirect support costs are allocated to products using volume oriented bases such as direct labor hours, direct labor dollars, production costs, and material costs. However, in a traditional DSS, enterprise wide production and indirect support costs are not assigned to specific product families in proportion to the demand for the specific indirect support costs that each product family requires.
It is desirable to provide a data warehouse which contains data that more accurately reflects the enterprise wide production and indirect support costs attributed to product families and individual products. It is further desirable to assign proportionate amounts of enterprise wide production and indirect support costs in response to a measurable quantity associated with the specific product family or product.